Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Ryan Goggin in the Fight For His Life

"I wasn't scared in the Army. I wasn't scared in Iraq," Ryan Goggin said. "I wasn't scared. But when they told me I had leukemia, I was scared." Ryan Goggin

MIAMI - An Army veteran who served in Iraq found an even bigger battle back in the United States, trying to get the Veterans Health Administration to fund his cancer treatment.

"I wasn't scared in the Army. I wasn't scared in Iraq," Ryan Goggin said. "I wasn't scared. But when they told me I had leukemia, I was scared."

Goggin served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army.In March, 2010 he was 10 months into a deployment in Iraq when a roadside bomb hit his truck. A traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder ended his military career.

Goggin, 29, was healthy and active, until January. He suddenly became so weak paramedics rushed him to the Miami VA hospital. From there he went to the University of Miami Hospital for further testing. The diagnosis was acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, a type of blood cancer.

He began chemotherapy at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and said officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs initially told him they would work to cover his full treatment there.read more here

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Crisis Phone Numbers

Vietnam Veterans of AmericaCrisis Phone Numberspecial noticeIf you are a veteran in emotional crisis and need help RIGHT NOW, call this toll-free number 1-800-273-8255, available 24/7, and tell them you are a veteran. All calls are confidential.http://www.vva.org/

Veterans’ Crisis Intervention Hotline

1-888-899-9377

A Crisis Intervention Hotline has been established by the VA Heartland Network to assist veterans who may be dealing with a mental health crisis or difficult issue in their lives. The hotline will also aid family members or friends of veterans who need help in assisting a veteran in crisis.